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Our soft and moist Yellow Cake recipe is topped with a simple homemade chocolate frosting. There is a reason why this is a classic, and I promise it tastes better than anything you can get from a box!
Yellow Cake That'll Make You Ditch the Box Forever
Yellow Cake That'll Make You Ditch the Box ForeverEveryone loves a classic yellow cake and it's just too easy and delicious to not make from scratch (especially paired with a homemade chocolate frosting)! This cake is soft, and moist, and uses basic ingredients, plus you know the ingredients are high quality, rather than all the processed junk put into cake mixes. Once you try it, you will never use a box mix again!
I have so many delicious cake recipes for you to try, like Chocolate Cake, Biscoff Cake, Cannoli Cake, Lemon Cake, Chocolate Mousse Cake, or Berry Cake!
Yellow Cake vs White Cake vs Vanilla Cake:
Yellow Cake can often get confused for white cake or vanilla cake. White cake is different because it's made with egg whites only, and sometimes even shortening to keep that white color. Yellow cake gets their name from the pale yellow color from whole eggs and real butter. When someone refers to vanilla cake, it can either be yellow cake or white cake.
How to make a Yellow Cake:
Make Cake Batter: With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream sugar and butter then mix in oil. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing after each one. Stir in vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl then alternate adding some flour mixture, then some buttermilk, back and forth until both are added, ending with the flour mixture. Only mix until just combined.
Bake: Separate the batter into two cake pans and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25-35 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the cake. Don't over-bake it or it will be dry. Let it cool for a few minutes then flip onto a wire cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting: Combine melted butter and cocoa powder. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, mix in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy. It usually takes several minutes of beating the frosting.
Frost and Assemble Cake: Once the cake has cooled completely, place one of the cake rounds on your serving tray then spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top. Place the second cake round on top then frost this easy yellow cake recipe with chocolate frosting on the top and sides. Enjoy!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The chocolate frosting can me made in advance. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Let it come to room temperature before frosting the cake.
To Freeze: Let the cakes cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to one month. Unwrap cakes and frost when frozen then bring to room temperature to serve. The frosting can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Cake Recipes:
- German Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Mug Cake
- Tres Leches Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Dark Chocolate Cake
- Berry Cake
- Nothing Bundt Cake
- Coconut Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Orange Olive Oil Cake
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer , optional
Ingredients
Yellow Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, (170g), at room temperature
- ¼ cup oil, (50g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar, (400g)
- 3 large eggs, , at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, , at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, (333g)
- 1 cup buttermilk, (227g), at room temperature
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, (113g), melted
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (57g)
- 3 cups powdered sugar, (360g)
- 1/3 cup milk, (83g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Yellow Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix sugar and butter for 3 minutes. Add oil and mix again. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix.
- Stir together baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour in a medium bowl. Alternate adding in some of the flour mixture, stirring to combine and then some of the buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Divide the batter evenly in the pans.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with few moist crumbs. Don't over-bake or the cake will be dry.
- Invert cakes onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting:
- Melt butter, then stir in cocoa powder. Mix in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla then mix for a few minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Once the cake has cooled completely, frost with chocolate frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe May 2019. Updated August 2023 and March 2025.
The cake is delicious, light and moist! I used three 8” cake pans and they all rose to the top of the pan. I made one and a half recipes for the icing so that I would have enough icing for the extra layer (and I like a lot of icing!). This is a great recipe! Thank you!!
Wow and wow!!!! I baked this cake but I added 1 can of cherry pie filling and it turned out amazing. My husband compared it to a cake his mother use to bake for his birthday when he was a boy. He actually shedded a tear while he was eating it. Thank you for sharing this recipe and helping me to give my husband the best birthday present ever…. childhood memories.
This is my go-to recipe for yellow cake. Turns out perfectly every time! I am wondering how long to bake it in a 13 x 9 pan. Would there also be a temperature adjustment? Thank you
The cake was moist and delicious , but i noticed in some slices a tart taste. I have used this recipe twice and I noticed it the second time as well. Is it the buttermilk that is giving it the tart taste?
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s delicious!! When I made it the first time, the edges were overdone. The next time I made it, I decreased the temp to 325 and baked for an extra 10 minutes – came out perfect!! Thinking about substituting lemon extract for the vanilla next time for something different.
Every year, I try another yellow cake/chocolate frosting recipe for my husbands birthday. I have always been slightly disappointed until I came across this one. The cake was very moist and fluffy, like many of Lauren’s cake recipes, this will be a hit!
Very disappointed in this recipe. This is the first time I used parchment paper rather than either spraying or greasing the entire cake pan. Not a good idea at all. Perhaps you need to recommend spraying the entire cake pan. The cake was so soft and it stuck to the sides of the pan and it is destroyed. the cake itself tastes ok if you want all crumbs. The cake is almost like angel; food. I need to now bake another cake form my tried and true recipes for my son’s birthday which we will be celebrating in a few hours. Also the frosting recipe is if you only want to thinly have frosting. I will never use this recipe again.
My fiance turned 43 yesterday and I made this cake for her. This was my FIRST made from scratch cake ever. I made both the cakes and the frosting Saturday, I froze the cakes and refrigerated the frosting. We ate the cake 3 days later. (last night) This was THE best yellow cake I’ve had. This was a hit in the household. Still was moist. I will never buy another box cake again. The frosting was even better than store bought. Listen guys/gals, this takes some time to make and some effort but it was well worth it. When I do this next time, I’ll make sure to have more time to allow butter and eggs come to room temperature. I also noticed at 350 degrees…I still had to leave it in the oven for an extra 10 minutes to get the middle of the cakes done. I’m proud of myself and thanks to whoever came up with this recipe.
Great I used it for pineapple upside down cupcakes turned out adorable!!!!
You know that scene in hocus pocus when they first split open Billy’s mouth and dust/moths fly out? That’s kind of what happened when I eat this cake. Looking back over the recipe I didn’t leave anything out. Not sure what went wrong, but I assume it must be something I did as this recipe has good ratings. I did try to use King Arthur pastry flour, which is finer ground. Perhaps that threw off proportions?
Wondering what adjustments to the cooking temperature and time if I use a convection oven?
I haven’t tested this cake in a convection oven–but I’m sure there’s a good resource online for converting.
This was my very first from scratch cake too. It took about an hour to bake. Once it was done I enjoyed the texture of the cake it was just too sweet. I will try it again with 2cups of sugar not 2 2/3 cups.